


Brunch Discount

by DimensionTheDykes



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Breakfast, F/M, Food allergy, Married Couple, Restaurants, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DimensionTheDykes/pseuds/DimensionTheDykes
Summary: Dr. Crowler and Pegasus go on an expensive brunch date, as Pegasus has a coupon. Unfortunately, the staff is not fully aware of Vellian's allergies.In the B-plot, Joey deals with relationship issues with Kaiba.
Relationships: Dr. Vellian Crowler / Maximillion Pegasus, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Serenity - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. The Order

"Oh darling, I am sure you will find this place divine!" Pegasus said as he held Crowler's hand and walked with her down a quaint, cobblestone path.  
"It is a little bit out of the way, but, mmm! I've heard their Eggs Benedict is simply-hmmhmmhmmm...eggs-travagant!"  
Crowler felt a spring in her step as she walked with Pegasus, holding back a chuckle as they neared the restaurant. She cherished every moment spent with her dear husband, even if his sense of humor was a bit out of touch to those who didn’t know him as well as she did. "I'm sure it is, dearest! But aren't you worried about the price? It is certainly in an opulent neighborhood..."  
"Not to worry, my love! Behold!" Pegasus announced, holding out a coupon booklet with a flourish and fanning out all the coupons like a freshly dealt hand. "I have discounts for days! This cafe won't know what hit them when I'm through! Ohohohoho~!" Crowler giggled at her husband’s dramatic gesture and snuggled up to his arm, wrapping herself around it as they walked on.  
Eggs Benedict was one of her absolute favorite dishes, and the thought of going to a posh new cafe to experience it with her husband filled her with joy. Crowler had been excited for their outing all morning, putting the utmost care into what she wanted to wear for their date. She got up and put on her finest Obelisk Blue formal attire, despite her retirement from the Academy; it was a little vintage, but she liked to wear it out on special occasions to remind herself of her proud days as a professor. She had sat at her vanity, working on her makeup until it was perfect to her standards. She made sure her cheeks had an ample amount of blush, just rosy enough to mask some of the many times she would blush throughout the day, but not all of them, as she wanted Pegasus to know how much happiness she felt with him. She had always felt appreciated by her former students, their love warming her heart. Her husband had a special way of making her feel loved and adored, however--it was alluring and soft, something she hadn’t experienced in her life before being with him.   
Pegasus, likewise, was extremely excited. Seeing that wide, bold and beautiful smile on Crowler's face told him that he was more than just an eccentric artist, a hermetic billionaire, a misunderstood shell of himself. With Crowler, he felt the value of being alive for the first time in decades. Making her happy was his main goal in life now more than anything, and he felt like an expert.  
When the pair arrived at the restaurant, an unfortunately familiar face greeted them. "Aw yeah, awright! Welcome to Serenity's you guys! Let me get you two to a table!"  
Pegasus and Crowler both rolled their eyes and followed Joey to a table overlooking a verdant meadow. "What can I get youse twose?" Joey boasted, leaning over their table with a notepad in hand. Pegasus shushed Joey quickly, putting his hand in front of their exuberant waiter. "Nothing yet, Joey boy. Come back in a few minutes when we've had a chance to breathe away from your excitable customer service, hmmm?" he sneered. Joey walked away and shrugged. "Sheesh, Women! I tink."  
The two needed not but a moment to decide on their order, but it was nice to not have Joey hovering over their every move. He was a good kid, but not the sort of person you want hanging around on a romantic brunch date. Internally, Pegasus wondered if Joey even knew how to enter a coupon to make sure their meal would be properly senior-discounted. Joey was often defeated by Machine Monster users, so a real money machine would surely be just as intimidating to him. Pegasus trailed off in his imagination, staring out at the meadow while he thought of a little cartoon Joey running away in horror from an angry cash register spitting out cards at him. He chuckled to himself, resting his chin on his hand and closing his eyes.   
Crowler smiled, comforted by the sight of Pegasus lost in his daydreams. Even if she couldn't know what they looked like, she knew her husband well and knew his special interest for cartoons often dominated his thoughts, a trait he was often embarrassed of but that she found quite endearing. When she first got her own Toon Ancient Gear Golem, she cried happily into his shoulders for almost an hour, overjoyed that he thought about her often enough to make a card just for her, and only her in mind. It was before they had even had a first date together, and she knew right then that this was the right man to spend her twilight years with.  
Meanwhile, Joey revelled in the solitude of having a moment to himself. The cafe was mostly empty, as brunch on Tuesday is not exactly the busiest for a small, hidden away cafe. He sat behind the counter with the register, looked around to make sure Serenity wasn't there to yell at him, and checked his phone. 20 more texts from Seto, none of them happy. He'd been in the doghouse for a couple weeks after he accidentally ruined one of Kaiba's special KaibaCorp coffee mugs in the microwave trying to make a mug cake at 4 in the morning.  
listen to me you whelp.  
I know you're ignoring me and I KNOW you're reading my texts.  
Call me. Now.  
Joey didn't understand why the mug was such a big deal, anyway. Couldn't Kaiba just get a new one, being rich and all? He dragged himself from his seat and sighed, stepping outside to call him.  
"Hey, babe. Sawry I didn't call ya sooner-"  
"Can it, Joey. I want you to come back home."  
"Hah? Right now? I'm kinda workin' at Serenity's right now to get b-"  
"Really? You picked up a job after not being with me for two weeks? You think that little of me that I wouldn't take care of you?"  
"Eh, well, I guess I didn't really think about it like dat...I just didn't wanna be in your hair right now, and-'  
"Wheeler, you just don't get it, do you?" Seto groaned without saying anything else. Joey held the phone silently, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  
"Listen, I'm sawry about de mug. I didn't mean to break it. I just don't understand why you're so mad abo-"  
"Just, please. Shut up for a second. Let me just..." Kaiba sighed again, and sniffled.  
"Kaiba, are you...cryin'? Ovah me?"  
"Yes, you ... you...ugh. I can't even be mean to you like this. You're just so...so...stupid! I don’t care about the mug. You destroyed the entire kitchen! How could you miss that?!"  
Joey blinked and thought back. It was dark, since it was 4 am, but the mug was white, so the shards of it were noticeable. He hadn't considered that Kaiba's stove, microwave, refrigerator, cabinets, second stovetop built into the kitchen island, and marble countertops weren't just that shade of black when the lights were off. During the day, they were practically solid black anyway.  
"The microwave exploded, Joey. Everything is covered in soot. I had to have you leave so that the kitchen could be refurbished." Kaiba sighed again. "I haven't been at the apartment this whole time either, dweeb. Call me back when you get off work. Or else." Kaiba chuckled, half jokingly, and half to rile up Joey.  
Joey shrugged again. "Guess it's not just women I don't understand!"  
Serenity slowly walked over to Crowler and Pegasus, brushing her long hair behind her shoulders and adjusting her apron. She was doing much better than the last time Pegasus had seen her, but her physical therapy was still a bit slow going. Still, she looked happy to be working and taking care of herself. "I'm sorry my brother completely forgot about you two. He's a great brother, but a waiter? Not so much,” she said, rolling her eyes and smiling sincerely. “Well, that’s not really important right now, I suppose. What can I get you guys?"  
Pegasus clenched Crowler's hand warmly and ordered for both of them. "Two eggs Benedict, please! And two black coffees. Oh, and may I also have a side of sourdough toast with fig jam, mmm?" Crowler smiled politely as he ordered, crossing her free hand over their interlocked ones. She was often a bit shy about putting her own order in, as she worried her voice would be off-putting to people or would be a sign of her transitioning. She realized, though, that Pegasus hadn't specified that her Benedict should not have crab, that of which it detailed on the menu. She was quite allergic, but the thought of speaking was making her sick to her stomach. She spoke very quietly to herself, nearly inaudibly, "no crab on my benedict, please, m-miss." Serenity nodded toward Pegasus, not showing any sign that she had her Crowler’s request as she headed towards the kitchen. Crowler nervously frowned and bit her nails, not wanting to cause a fuss.


	2. The Preperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big ups to my guy judeau for their additions! I couldn't have wrote this one without them.

Serenity went into the kitchen to begin cooking, tying her hair back and taking a deep breath as she gathered her utensils. She didn’t trust anyone else to deliver on her high expectation of food quality, so she never hired a chef, or even a sous chef- everything in the kitchen, she took care of herself. Before Joey needed a job, she didn’t even have waitstaff, only rotating out waitstaff as her friends and loved ones needed it. 

She began by cracking 4 farm fresh eggs into some water that had a gentle boil going, stirring gingerly but slowly to ensure they did not become misshapen and poached quickly. She removed the eggs into ice cold water to halt the cooking while she put the rest of the plate together, walking to the other side of the kitchen to prepare the next steps. First, an English muffin with a golden toast, lightly buttered.Then, a generous helping of soft shell crab, tossed with a proprietary spice blend she kept safe in her head, for fear someone would try and steal her delicious secret. Then, micro-greens she grew herself in the meadow, just freshly pickled for acidity and color. She carefully placed the egg on top of that, and finally, a generous ladleful of hollandaise, made with care to balance the flavors and ensure the right consistency. And done! Serenity’s renowned eggs Benedict.

After the main course preparation, it was just a matter of making Pegasus’ additional request. Serenity knew Pegasus to be an eccentric, so the strange pairing of pungent sourdough bread and gritty, grainy fig jam wasn’t really all that bizarre in comparison to some of the requests she’d received from customers before. Plus, Serenity had a real love for baking, and not only that, but for growing her own sourdough starter. Serenity had taken a great interest in growing and caring for whatever life she could, be it the plants she grew in the meadow or the starter in a jar ever since starting her physical therapy. Bringing things to fruition satisfied her and reminded her of life and what it had to offer: something she had felt so robbed of when dealing with her illness. She piled up the plates on a tray and prepared to bring the order out to the couple, double checking her appearance in the reflection of the fridge. 

While Serenity worked, Pegasus and Crowler chatted, a feeling of internal dread creeping into Pegasus’ thoughts. Crowler smiled at his quips and giggled gently as she always did, but she seemed perturbed, off. Her nails were fraying at the edges, something Pegasus had noticed the longer they were together. He tried not to be judgemental, of course, but he knew that if Crowler was nibbling at her fingers, something was upsetting her that she was having difficulty bringing up. These types of things stood out to him; fun and joy were his specialty, and the emotions on his wife’s face read otherwise. Pegasus furrowed his brows and put his hand on Crowler’s thigh, looking into her eyes with concern.

“Darling, what’s the matter? Do you not like the cafe? Did Joey upset you? Was bringing the coupon too thrifty of me?” 

Crowler pinched her brows together in response and curtly smiled, trying to appear composed. “Oh, my dear Maximillion, it’s nothing like that. It’s just...well, I’m a bit embarrassed.” she gently grabbed Pegasus’ hand and squeezed. “Did you forget about my allergy?” 

Pegasus put his other hand against his forehead and curled his fingers. “Ah, how could I be so thoughtless! My dearest Vellian, I should have done better by you! Can this ever be forgiven?!” he pleased flamboyantly, gripping her hand between his and sighing. Crowler’s eyebrows curled up even more and her smile became a lot more genuine, her eyes softening. “Oh, you silly old man! It was just a simple mistake. Anyone could have done it! I am sure you didn’t mean anything by it. I should have spoken up, I just get so nervous around girls like her, you see...she’s so young, and pretty, and...different, than I am…” she trailed off and sighed a bit. “A-anyway, would you mind asking for mine without crab? I tried saying it to her before but I think I was just too quiet, and I would’ve just sat here stewing in it if you didn’t say anything…”

Pegasus nodded, leaning in and kissing Crowler on the cheek gently before leaning back in his seat and crossing his hands. He felt guilty for not remembering his wife’s dietary restrictions, but understood that marriage was always a learning experience and he was trying his best. He had never committed to something like this, Duel Monsters and his company always being something that accentuated his personality in a way that made him feel cold, calculated. His passions had always lied with his love for childhood, but he was a man now: and he would act it, for her.


	3. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that I took so long to finish the fic and ended it pretty quick! i didn't want to keep people hanging. I definitely have more GX and Yu-Gi-Oh in general ideas that I want to write someday, so I hope you enjoyed!

Joey came in from the alley next to the cafe, feeling resolved after his conversation with Kaiba. Pegasus and his date were the only customers in the cafe, so he didn’t feel too bad for having made them wait. He went back over to check on the two.

“Hey, sorry about all dat! Did my sistah take care of you already?”

“Ah, yes, but-” Pegasus tried to tell Joey about Crowler’s problem, but Joey cut him off.

“Aw, great! I’ll go check on your ordah. Back in a few!” Joey dashed off to the kitchen.

Pegasus put his head in his hands and sighed. He straightened his back, leaned toward Crowler and put his hand on her thigh and gave her a loving squeeze. “Not to worry, darling. I will take care of this!” He got up from the table and kissed her on the forehead. He walked toward the kitchen and waited patiently by the door for Serenity or Joey to come back out. 

He caught Joey by surprise when the kitchen door swung open, and he grabbed him on the arm, a bit roughly. “Excuse me, dear Joey-boy. I wasn’t finished speaking at the table when you so rudely interrupted.” Joey tensed up and his pupils shrank into the whites of his eyes. “Nyeah! Sorry about that, mistah Pegasus, sir…” “It’s fine, dear boy. Just please, let Serenity know something for me.”

“My wife said no crab.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written by me and edited by my roommate and noted puppyshipper, judeau. you can find their work here:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/judeau/pseuds/judeau


End file.
